Heart's Wish
by Mad Hatter Korasu
Summary: Silence was all he thought he wished for. He was wrong. It had nothing to do with his heart's wish. Very light Steve/Bucky/Tony.
**Hello everyone! Here is a small thing I wrote to help me get over a writer's block for this really long one shot I'm in the middle of. Along with that one I've got six others going so I'll have more in store for you yet! Anywho. Enjoy!**

 **I don't own anything Marvel related. I just like to play with their characters and universes!**

~O~

Tony was tired. He wanted everything to just stop. It scared him to admit that he longed for the quiet he found in the void of space after he released the nuke. His mind didn't want to be silent it rebelled against his wishes throwing him into a full blown panic attack. Silence meant death his mind whispered. He didn't have a death wish; he couldn't have one even if he wanted. He had too many wrongs to right, too many mistakes to fix. That didn't stop the agonizing longing for the quiet though. There was so much noise around him but nothing helped sooth him. He wanted silence, just silence. Why couldn't that happen? He couldn't understand why the noise that had given him comfort after the shit storm in Afghanistan bothered him so much now. So much happened in the span of just a few years. Afghanistan, coming out as Ironman, palladium poisoning and dealing with Viktor Vanko, meeting the Avengers and battling Loki and his Chitauri army, then the whole extremis thing, and then Ultron and loosing JARVIS. It was all just too much.

He hadn't yet dealt with a lot of what happened. Pepper left, Rhodey was busy getting his joining the Avengers business done, and the hole JARVIS left in his wake of becoming Vision. He didn't deal with anything in a healthy manner but this was excessive even for him. But he just couldn't make himself care. He stopped eating, stopped drinking, stopped inventing, just stopped. He had no will to keep up anymore. He missed JARVIS, missed the constant companion he had in him. He loved FRIDAY she was just as amazing as JARVIS had been but she wasn't him. She tried to comfort him but she was still learning what it meant to be sentient. He knew she and the bots worried about him and he tried to muster the strength to care at least about them because he loved them fiercely. He was heartsick though. He really should have known it was coming. He had recognized the signs of his declining state of mind, signs he had ignored. As long as no one noticed things were fine. Least that's what he liked telling himself. He wasn't fine though. Hadn't been in a long time. The engineer had just ignored it all. Now however he wouldn't be able too. All the crushing guilt, pain, and heartache decided to come at him all in one go. That was his luck with all the emotional bullshit.

So here he lay on the floor of his workshop curled in the fetal position, his hands clutching his head over his ears, eyes screwed shut as tightly as possible. He didn't hear FRIDAY calling out to him, pleading for him to answer. He didn't see the bots circling him frantically. His mind had trapped him in his emotional hell. It was the kind of hell he couldn't pull himself out of. He knew he needed people around him for this very reason. But it was also this very reason he pushed everyone away. The thought of anyone seeing him this vulnerable was a frightening one. The only thing that crossed his mind when he thought of letting someone in was the image of Obi pulling his very heart out of his chest. As much as he wanted to let someone close his fear of what could happened stopped him. His emotional turmoil was drowning him and the only thing he thought he had left to do was let it pull him into the abyss. Maybe there he could find the silence he longed for.

~O~

It was barely two thirty am when Steve's phone started ringing non-stop. He could hear Bucky on his left grumbling about stupid cell phones that never stop. Growling himself he picked up his phone, not bothering to look at the caller ID, and if he answered it with a snappish response who could blame him?

"What?" He snapped into the receiver.

"Captain Rogers!" FRIDAY practically cried in his ear. Could A.I.s cry?

Hearing FRIDAY on the other line had Bucky sitting up beside him, a look of confusion and slight worry washed away the sleepiness that had been there prior. Steve knew his expression couldn't have been much different. FRIDAY had never sounded so panicked and that was clue enough that something was wrong if her calling at all wasn't. He was in instant Captain mode and took a calming breath. He needed to stay calm if not for himself or Bucky then FRIDAY.

"FRIDAY what's wrong?" He asked quietly.

"Boss isn't responding! He's won't answer me!"

"Okay. FRIDAY I need you to tell me where he is."

"He's at the tower in the lab, lying on the floor!" She replied frantically.

"We're on the way! Be there in ten minutes. Stay calm and keep an eye on his vitals. If they spike you call for an ambulance you don't wait for us."

"Yes sir!"

The phone clicked dead and both soldiers flew out of bed. Forgoing anything other than pulling on a shirt and shoes they were out the door. They snagged a set of keys to one of the many vehicles they had at the Avengers HQ and raced out to the garage. Bucky pulled the keys from Steve saying he'd like to get there in one piece to rescue their genius and climbed into the driver's side. Steve didn't waste time arguing just hopped into the passenger's side and told his lover to step on it. Bucky not one to disappoint did exactly that and peeled out of the garage like the devil himself was on their tail. By the time they arrived at the tower Steve was sure that they had broken every traffic law in the book even as his mind supplied they had bigger issues to worry about, like getting to the owner of the tower. When they reached the elevator FRIDAY had it open and waiting for them, immediately closing the doors and taking them to the correct floor. The fact that she seemed so panicked had them freaking out and wishing the elevator would go faster. Once the doors were opened again they ran straight towards the lab which was also opened for them.

The sight that greeted them was heartbreaking. Tony was prone on the floor curled in on himself with his back to them. As they got closer they could hear the near silent sobs and it was then they noticed his body shaking with the force of them. Tony had his hands covering his ears and despite his eyes being clamped shut tears still escaped. He looked so small so unlike himself. It made them question if the confident, self-assured, arrogant Tony Stark was the real Tony Stark. Had all of that only been a mask the genius perfected so no one would see the real him? It hurt to think that the man they knew was just a façade that another man entirely hid behind. They should have known to be honest. All of them should've. It was little hints and clues in both his actions and his words that should have been a tip off that they weren't seeing the real Tony. Tony put on a very convincing show. They had all been fooled by his act of arrogant, prideful, confident, billionaire, playboy. Just like he wanted they didn't see the insecure, self-conscious man that had too much weight on his shoulders and more than his fair share of heartache and pain. Until now.

Both soldiers slowly made their way over to the genius curled on the floor not wanting to startle him. Not that their slow, easily perceptible movements mattered, Tony hadn't even realized they were there. The bots had stopped circling and were now watching them intently. U and Butterfingers seemed to be begging the two to do something, help their creator. Dummy on the other hand was not only watching them intently but warily as well unsure if he should allow them closer or protect his father. Steve held up his hands to show he meant no harm as did Bucky even as they got closer. The Winter Soldier was the one to kneel down while Steve kept an eye on the bot that apparently didn't trust them with Tony. Bucky reached out to ease the billionaire into his arms trying not to jostle the man and cause his panic attack to worsen. Dummy made a sound of slight protest but silenced when his creator didn't seem to react adversely. Without really meaning to Bucky started rocking back and forth whispering softly to Tony. Steve after dummy relaxed knelt down as well sitting close to the two. He slowly ran his hands through the genius's hair as they him. Both talking to him trying to pull him back from whatever hell he had fallen into.

~O~

It was about an hour and a half almost two when Tony started showing signs of coming back. His tears still fell but he had gone limp in their arms. His hands had left his ears and now clutched tightly onto Bucky's shirt like it was a lifeline. Steve still ran a hand through Tony's dark hair trying to give off as much comfort as possible. Tony's mind cleared of the darkness as he followed the voices back. The voices were a gentle breeze in the hell of his mind. They offered a reprieve of the heat of the afghan desert his mind conjured. They were gentle, familiar, and he wanted nothing more than to follow them anywhere they wanted him to go. Right now all they asked was for him to come back to reality, away from the suffocating confines his overactive mind restrained him in. It was because these voices soothed away the longing for silence that he let them pull him free of his darkness. As he slowly came back to reality his dark eyes opened and then went wide as he seen the two who had lulled him back. Bucky had his forehead resting against Tony's, his blue eyes closed as he whispered reassurances to the genius. Steve was just behind Tony and his strong hands one running through his hair and the other up and down his arm. It was shocking to find them here, even more so to find them cuddling him and whispering to him. Tony then looked down to find his own hands twisted in Bucky's shirt. Carefully he untangled his fingers gaining Bucky's attention. Blue eyes opened staring directly into whiskey pools. A sigh escaped the soldier and he pulled a little ways away to let another set of blues see Tony's open. Neither said anything just tugged the genius more securely against them, refusing to let go.

Tony shifted a little. "Hey…uh…"

"It's okay Tony. FRIDAY called us. She was completely frantic. She couldn't get you to respond." Steve said.

Tony looked down unsure of how to respond. He remembered FRIDAY's voice calling out to him but he had been swallowed by the terrors that constantly nipped at his heels. FRIDAY had gone through mild panic attacks with him before but nothing this severe. He felt guilty for scaring her. He raised a hand to his face and covered his eyes. Another hand twined with Tony's and gently pulled it away.

"Can you tell us what triggered a panic attack this severe?" Whispered Bucky.

Tony hid his face against Bucky's neck and closed his eyes. "I-I just wanted s-silence. Every…thing hit me at once. Pepper leaving, U-Ultron, losing JARVIS, hell…even things from years ago… just hit me. I t-thought of the silence… I found in space during the New York incident. T-t-that was a b-bad idea."

Bucky tightened his hold on him and Steve wrapped his arms around both of them. Tony curled against them. Steve buried his face in the engineer's hair taking in the scents of coffee, oil, and metals that always clung to the man. Tony was quiet for quite some time before his rough voice broke the silence.

"I should get up. I'm okay now…You guys can go home." Tony tried to pull away from them.

Steve and Bucky just held him closer.

"Oh no you don't." Steve said sternly. "You aren't pulling away from us now. "

"Yep. You left your walls down this time punk. Now that we're in we are just going to dig in our heels and not leave." Bucky threw in.

"I don't understand." Tony's voice was softer than either had ever heard it.

Steve pulled his face around to look the genius in the eyes. "Are you serious? Tony, honey, we have been pining after you for over a year. Why wouldn't we barricade ourselves in the walls you let us through?"

The engineer still looked confused. Steve sighed and turned to Bucky. Tony felt the Winter Soldier shrug before his face was turned towards him and said soldier pressed a hot, chaste kiss to his mouth. Stunned was one way to put how Tony felt, mind boggled would be another. He didn't get a chance to say anything when Bucky pulled back as Steve took advantage of his shock to steal a kiss for himself. Warmth spread through him like his very blood had caught fire before dimming to a smolder as it ran through his veins. It was a novel feeling as well as one he was unsure was a good or bad thing. His eyes opened to look at the soldiers. When had they closed? They were both looking at him like he was a treasure they stole from a dragon's lair. It clicked then. All the looks, their near constant worrying, and then he remembered Steve had called him honey. It all started to make sense.

"I see you finally caught on." Bucky snickered. "About time Captain Oblivious."

Steve let out a deep chuckle. "I thought you were supposed to be a genius."

"Hey!" Tony said indignantly. "I'm a certified genius, thank you!"

"I'm not sure about that's true but we love you anyways." Steve retorted.

The Brooklyn duo just laughed as Tony pouted. He looked adorable. He had relaxed in their embrace and seemed unwilling to move now that he had been clued in. They couldn't help feeling slightly smug at how easily they got the inventor to melt for them. It was gratifying to be someone Tony leaned on when his strength failed him. Now that they had him they had every intention of keeping him. They'd probably chain him to them. They were pulled out of their thoughts by a familiar, still slightly panicked voice.

"Boss?" FRIDAY called.

Tony tensed up for a fraction of a second. "Oh god, FRIDAY! I'm so sorry sweetheart."

"Are you ok now?"

Tony gave Steve and Bucky a smile before pulling out of their hold and went towards the bots and make himself completely visible for FRIDAY. U and Butterfingers circled their creator looking for anything out of the ordinary. Dummy was still hovering near the extinguisher, his camera head going between his father and the two super soldiers. Tony held out his hand to the 'Dunce' cap wearing bot and Dummy wheeled over to him. The engineer ran his hands over each of the bots giving them reassurances with touch and sight.

"I'm sorry kiddos. I didn't mean to make you worry. Daddy's back."

The bots all made their own chirping noises while wrapping their arms around him or running their grasping claws through his hair and tugging at his shirt. It was clear they were relieved. If an outsider was to see this they would think that Tony was going to be crushed by his bots but Steve and Bucky knew better. What they were seeing was a group of children happy to see their father was going to be fine.

"We're happy you are okay." FRIDAY said softly.

"I'm sorry I scared you my girl."

"And thank you for calling us for help." Steve said from right behind Tony.

"You are welcome. A warning though Captain Rogers, Sargent Barnes."

"What's up FRIDAY?" Bucky's voice was calm.

Tony turned around still within the bots entanglement. He was looking at them just as confused about his lady A.I.'s words. She had been soft and soothing with her creator with Steve and Bucky her tone had been hard and somewhat cold.

"You only get one chance. You do anything to my creator, my father; there won't be any place in this galaxy you can hide. I. WILL. END. YOU. BOTH."

Tony looked stunned, if a bit pleased. Expressions of shock that melted into understanding were worn on the soldiers' features. FRIDAY reminded Bucky of Skynet from Terminator. Good thing they had no intentions of hurting her creator. Being overprotective and possessive, yes, hurting him, no.

"Skynet mean anything to you?" Bucky quipped trying to lighten the mood.

FRIDAY sounded smug when she replied feistily. "Trust me Sergeant Barnes. Skynet has nothing on me."

Tony laughed outright. "Damn straight!"

When Steve pulled him from the bots and against him and Bucky he sighed in contentment. His mind raced over the past few hours and realization dawned. Perhaps it wasn't the silence his heart wished for. Maybe the silence was a stand in for something he had wished for but thought he had no hope for. He leaned against his men as his mind settled. His heart's wish had been for this right here. It wasn't the silence but the feelings of love and family.

He got his wish.

~O~

 **Well that does it for this one. Sorry if it's not up to snuff. I'll have more stuff posted soon! Let me know what you think! Reviews make this Hatter a happy Hatter!**

 **~Mad Hatter Korasu~**


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